By Jennifer P. Rendon
Four persons were killed in two separate vehicular incidents in Iloilo province on Monday.
The fatalities were identified as Joseph Anthony Alexander, 18, a Grade 12 student and resident of Barangay Nahapay, Guimbal, Iloilo; Kyle dela Piedra, 18, also a high school student, of Barangay Tagpu-an, Tubungan town; and spouses Emil Pagtolon-an and Merren Pagtolon-an, both 36 years old and residents of Barangay Bagacay, Passi City.
Alexander and dela Piedra both died after the motorcycle they were riding collided with a truck at an intersection in Sitio Kalawidan, Barangay Igcocolo, Guimbal around 6:50 am.
Police reports indicated that Rogelio Garganza Jr., 51, also a resident of Igcocolo village, was maneuvering his truck to make a left turn when the motorcycle driven by Alexanders crashed into the truck.
Garganza said he signaled to make a left turn, but witnesses said the motorcycle was tailing the truck at high speed.
The two teenagers were thrown out of the motorcycle and crashed into the roadside gutter. Both suffered head injuries.
They were rushed to Rep. Pedro Trono Memorial District Hospital but they did not pull through.
Police learned that the motorcycle – a black Honda XRM – lacked registration papers.
Meanwhile, the Pagtolon-an couple died after their vehicle collided with a truck at Barangay Amamaros, Pototan.
According to the truck driver, Regen Albacite, 29, a resident of Mandurriao, Iloilo City, the couple’s Isuzu MU-X sports utility vehicle encroached on his lane after they overtook a wing van.
Albacite alleged that he tried avoiding the victims, but it was already too late.
Another witness also claimed that the SUV indeed overtook another vehicle and failed to return to its designated lane.
It was possible that Albacite panicked upon seeing the incoming vehicle and was not able to maneuver to the road shoulder that led to the collision.
Merren was immediately pulled from the wrecked SUV and was taken to the hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival.
It took 30 minutes for responders to pull Emil from the vehicle after he got pinned. He also did not survive.
The Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) has recorded another road mishap in Leon town.
Luckily, the two persons involved have survived the incident.
